Butternut Squash 3 Ways

I wrote that I made the butternut squash pizza a week or two ago and it was really good. I'm totally planning on making it again.  But I bought a huge squash and I only needed a little of it for the pizza. I sure wasn't going to waste the leftovers.

So I visited my old friend Annabelle Karmel.  She wrote a book called First Meals and I used to use it quite a bit, but its been a while since she called me to open her pages and read her words of wisdom.  Plus I feared my kids were getting bored with PB&J, carrot sticks and grapes.

Low and behold were two recipes that I had all the ingredients for already. I was prepared. I went to work.

2) BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

This was absolutely delicious.  DH and I really liked it. The kids wrinkled up their noses at first, but they ate it when I told them they couldn't have dessert if their plates still had food on them.  They had it again a second time around so given that they ate it with a small amount of intervention on my part, I think this one was a success.

Risottos are a little bit of a pain.  Constant stirring for 30 mins or more make them high maintainence and therefore off my list of menu items to prepare regularly.  However, DH was home and could watch children so I could tackle this.

Risottos use a special rice called Arborio. Its a short-grain, high-starch rice. The starch content allows it to stick together.  I guess the desired texture for risottos is soft on the outside of the grain and firm on the inside. I didn't think my kids would go for that, so I cooked it a litttle longer to make it soft. I thought it was good. Maybe thats why I'm not a professional chef or food critic.

It was good as a leftover as well. I didn't try to freeze it and I'm not so sure that it would really freeze the greatest, but if anyone wants to try, let me know your results.

Here's her recipe:

2/3 C Butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 1/2 T EVOO
1 onion
1 garlic clove
1 C arborio rice
2 1/2 C hot veggie stock
8 sage leaves, torn into small pieces

Steam the squash for 5 minutes. Heat EVOO in heavy bottomed pot and saute onion and garlic over low until soft. Add the rice and stir until well coated. Cook over medium for 25 minutes adding the stock on ladleful at atime stirring constantly allowing the rice to absorb each ladleful of liquid before adding the next.

About 10 mins before the end of cooking time, add the squash and sage. Continue to add stock until its all used up.

*note the original called for 3 T parmesan to be added at the end, but I omitted it to keep it vegan.

3) BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ALPHABET PASTA

I had a bunch of puree already made up. I thought it was cute to use the alphabet pasta as well.
This recipe could easily transform into a soup by thinning the puree with vegetable stock.  My baby really liked it.

3 C butternut squah peeled and cubed.
2-3 T alphabet soup pasta
2 T EVOO
1/2 T chopped fresh sage

Steam the squash and puree until smooth. Cook the pasta until tender. Cook sage in EVOO for 1 minute until fragrant. Combine sage, squash and pasta. 

This item freezes well. I froze it in ice cube trays so I can pull out exactly what I need each time and there is no waste.